Chris Wesseling

Offseason Low Down

Free Agency Primer: DBs

Bell followed a promising 2006 season with a torn Achilles' tendon in 2007, only to bounce back with a Pro Bowl caliber season in 2008. Bell not only led the Dolphins in tackles, he also broke up 11 passes and was impressive in coverage against the league's elite tight ends. Even at age 31, the Dolphins recognize Bell as the key to their secondary.

At age 27, Jones may offer the best combination of age and physical ability on the market. Known as a fierce hitter with solid ball skills, Jones would be on his way to becoming one of the highest paid safeties in the league had he not missed time with a knee injury in 2008. Last year's injury was to his right knee while his rookie year torn ACL was in his left knee. As such, he's a bit of an injury-risk going forward.

Dawkins, 35, is the Ray Lewis of defensive backs as a galvanizing team leader with plenty left in the tank. Anyone who tabbed his Pro Bowl selection as a gratuitous lifetime achievement award wasn't paying close attention. Put on the tape of the Conference Championship game in Arizona, and watch the old man fly around the field making plays. Likely to sign a one-year deal at around $3 or $4 million, Dawkins will once again be a bargain for Philly.

Phillips, 30, has had consistency issues in the past and is coming off a season where he fractured his arm twice. He's played a full 16 games just once in the past five years, leading the Bucs to consider handing over strong safety to Sabby Piscitelli. Phillips could find a home in Seattle with former Bucs coach Gus Bradley taking over as coordinator.

Prediction: Seahawks

Best of the Rest

1. Jim Leonhard – Commonly pigeon-holed as a scrappy player with limited talent because of his skin color and underwhelming pedigree , Leonhard is actually one of the best athletes in the league at his position. He's a perfect fit for Rex Ryan's new defense in New York.

2. Gibril Wilson – Another one of Al Davis' monster contracts gone to waste, Wilson is likely to draw interest from the Chargers, Patriots, and Rams as a strong safety.

3. James Sanders - The 2005 fourth-rounder has become a key member of the Patriots secondary and may still return to New England if the price is right. He has a Josh McDaniels connection in Denver, but would McDaniels be leery after Eric Mangini's history of hijacking Pats players?

4. James Butler - Butler was the starting strong safety on the 2007 Championship squad, but phenom Kenny Phillips rendered him expendable this offseason.

5. Mike Brown – Brown, 31, almost made it through 16 games for the first time in five years and was summarily cut for the effort. With his injury history, he's going to have to take an incentive laden deal.

6. Eugene Wilson – With little in the way of safety depth, Wilson is a priority for the Texans. If he makes it to the open market, the Bears could emerge as a suitor due to Wilson's connections to offensive coordinator Ron Turner and defensive backs coach Jon Hoke.

7. Gerald Sensabaugh – Sensabaugh is coming off a third run in with the law just last week, and he's facing a suspension to open the season. His value has taken a plunge.

McFadden, 27, was arguably the premier corner on the best pass defense in football last season. The Steelers would like to keep him in black and gold, but they won't want to back up the Brinks truck with William Gay set to take his place. While he's not a true shutdown corner, McFadden is not only solid across the board but also in his football prime.

Considered a reach when he was drafted out of Howard in the second-round back in 2006, Bartell has emerged as the Rams' answer for bigger No. 1 wideouts. While he won't rack up interceptions, he offers a nice size/speed package with sure tackling ability. Just 27 years old, he joins McFadden as the top two corners available in a weak market.

Bodden and the Tampa-2 zone defense were an ill-conceived match from the beginning, but the 27-year-old is a quality press corner. Just ask Chad Ocho Cinco and Marvin Lewis from Bodden's time in Cleveland. He should come relatively cheaply after a disastrous season with the winless Lions, but Bodden could easily end up as the best of a weak free agent bunch.

The original "Big Hat, No Cattle," Hall has been talking better than he's been playing ever since he entered the league. Despite Carlos Rogers' impressive play in keying one of the best pass defenses in the league early last season, the Redskins decided they preferred Hall's alleged playmaking ability. Now they're set to repeat Al Davis' mistake from last season and hand Hall a mega deal that they will soon regret.

Prediction: Redskins

Best of the Rest

1. Jabari Greer – The Bills recently offered Greer a five-year deal worth $20 million, but he's said to be seeking $7-8 million per year. Even in a weak market, that's a ridiculous amount for an average corner. With 2008 first rounder Leodis McKelvin ready to step in, Greer will likely find a new home this offseason.

2. Domonique Foxworth - Foxworth, 26, played a lot of safety with Denver before arriving in Atlanta in a mid-season trade. He immediately stabilized the left corner position for the Falcons and was a major reason for their improved pass defense. Atlanta wants to re-sign him, but he won't come cheaply as one of the better names on the market.

3. Andre' Goodman – Goodman, 31, regained his starting position and put in a strong year, leading the Dolphins with five picks. Miami will try to get younger at cornerback, so Goodman may price himself out of their plans.

4. Phillip Buchanon - A bust during his days in Oakland and Houston, Buchanon was arguably Tampa's best corner last season. He's tight with new coach Raheem Morris and his re-signing is considered a priority in Tampa.

5. Dre Bly – Bly was considered a top-flight corner as recently as two years ago, but the production never matched the hype provided by his interceptions. He was bust during his two years in Denver and can no longer play one on one coverage without getting burnt.

Bell followed a promising 2006 season with a torn Achilles' tendon in 2007, only to bounce back with a Pro Bowl caliber season in 2008. Bell not only led the Dolphins in tackles, he also broke up 11 passes and was impressive in coverage against the league's elite tight ends. Even at age 31, the Dolphins recognize Bell as the key to their secondary.

At age 27, Jones may offer the best combination of age and physical ability on the market. Known as a fierce hitter with solid ball skills, Jones would be on his way to becoming one of the highest paid safeties in the league had he not missed time with a knee injury in 2008. Last year's injury was to his right knee while his rookie year torn ACL was in his left knee. As such, he's a bit of an injury-risk going forward.

Dawkins, 35, is the Ray Lewis of defensive backs as a galvanizing team leader with plenty left in the tank. Anyone who tabbed his Pro Bowl selection as a gratuitous lifetime achievement award wasn't paying close attention. Put on the tape of the Conference Championship game in Arizona, and watch the old man fly around the field making plays. Likely to sign a one-year deal at around $3 or $4 million, Dawkins will once again be a bargain for Philly.

Phillips, 30, has had consistency issues in the past and is coming off a season where he fractured his arm twice. He's played a full 16 games just once in the past five years, leading the Bucs to consider handing over strong safety to Sabby Piscitelli. Phillips could find a home in Seattle with former Bucs coach Gus Bradley taking over as coordinator.

Prediction: Seahawks

Best of the Rest

1. Jim Leonhard – Commonly pigeon-holed as a scrappy player with limited talent because of his skin color and underwhelming pedigree , Leonhard is actually one of the best athletes in the league at his position. He's a perfect fit for Rex Ryan's new defense in New York.

2. Gibril Wilson – Another one of Al Davis' monster contracts gone to waste, Wilson is likely to draw interest from the Chargers, Patriots, and Rams as a strong safety.

3. James Sanders - The 2005 fourth-rounder has become a key member of the Patriots secondary and may still return to New England if the price is right. He has a Josh McDaniels connection in Denver, but would McDaniels be leery after Eric Mangini's history of hijacking Pats players?

4. James Butler - Butler was the starting strong safety on the 2007 Championship squad, but phenom Kenny Phillips rendered him expendable this offseason.

5. Mike Brown – Brown, 31, almost made it through 16 games for the first time in five years and was summarily cut for the effort. With his injury history, he's going to have to take an incentive laden deal.

6. Eugene Wilson – With little in the way of safety depth, Wilson is a priority for the Texans. If he makes it to the open market, the Bears could emerge as a suitor due to Wilson's connections to offensive coordinator Ron Turner and defensive backs coach Jon Hoke.

7. Gerald Sensabaugh – Sensabaugh is coming off a third run in with the law just last week, and he's facing a suspension to open the season. His value has taken a plunge.

Chris Wesseling is a senior football editor and Dynasty league analyst for Rotoworld.com. The 2011 NFL season marks his fifth year with Rotoworld and his third year contributing to NBCSports.com. He can be found on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.Email :Chris Wesseling